PHASE 2 PLANS TO REOPEN - Bars, massage facilities, bowling alleys, recreational pools and tattoo shops will be able to open soon in most of Louisiana. Gov. John Bel Edwards on Monday announced a loosening of current restrictions related to the fight against the new coronavirus.
"I'm pleased to report that we are seeing signs of progress," Edwards said. "Louisiana is heading in the right direction but I have to caveat that by saying there's still a lot of Covid-19 in Louisiana. It's in every community across the state and so we wtill have work to do."
The looser rules take effect Friday but won't apply in New Orleans, where officials have said they want more data before deciding when to further ease restrictions. Louisiana now has had more than 40,300 confirmed cases of the disease caused by the virus. The state's death toll rose by only four Monday, to 2,690. More than 31,700 have recovered. Hospitalizations dropped to 661, after peaking at more than 2,100.
